Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is urging the cessation of the Accra redevelopment policy, asserting that it has overstayed its welcome and stands as one of Ghana’s most misused policies.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, Ablakwa argued that, while the policy had good intentions, it has been exploited by high-ranking officials in successive governments since 1999 to serve private interests.
This exploitation, according to him, has resulted in the displacement of numerous public and civil service officials, as well as government members holding sensitive positions, making way for private developers and their luxury apartments.
Quoting the opinion of then-Justice Adenyira in a related case, Ablakwa emphasized, “The Accra redevelopment scheme of residential properties policy…has not been wholly satisfactory and has raised a lot of negative comments and issues of morality from the populace.”
Ablakwa stressed that the policy, initially designed to provide housing for government and public officials, has lost its relevance and has become one of the most abused policies in the country’s history.
He cited instances where judges, public servants, civil servants, and healthcare professionals were displaced due to this policy.
Highlighting the lack of transparency in the sale and distribution of the land, Ablakwa called for a review of the policy to ensure clear guidelines, transparency, and accountability in the process.
“The implementation of this scheme has dislodged a lot of government and public officials from their homes to give way to luxury apartments which only a few Ghanaians can afford to rent or buy.
“I would stress that since these public lands were initially used to provide housing for government and other public officials; space should be made available to decently house these officials most of whom own sensitive positions and thus need adequate privacy and security.”
“This land redevelopment policy has totally outlived its usefulness, it’s been probably the most abused policy in our country’s history and it should not continue,” he said.
“Look, Kojo, I can give you a tall list, judges have not been excluded as victims of this policy, public servants, civil servants, doctors who should be close so that if there is an emergency, you need them close to Korle Bu or close to Ridge hospital, they can be in good proximity, so that they can save our lives they’ve all been dislodged because of this same policy in the name of redevelopment, in the name of in-filling.
“What happens is that the land is sold to people in private sector, sometimes under very dubious circumstances and luxury apartments are constructed as Mrs. Adenyira JSC stated in this judgement and then it leads to many public officials being dislodged,” he said.
“And you see it is important to stress that when you look at the implementation of this policy, we don’t have clear guidelines, there are no clear guidelines as to who benefits, how the land – if there is spare land – how it is auctioned, how it is sold, how you come to won titles.
“It is shrouded in secrecy, a lot of opacity, it’s done behind the scenes before you know you receive an eviction order leave as a public official or as a judge and there are so many harrowing stories. You know, they just evict them and all manner of persons take over,” he said.